The Hunters' Curse
by littlerose23
Summary: A KLAROLINE ONE-SHOT. Their first date ends horribly when Jeremy attacks Caroline, who has no choice but to kill him in order to save her own life, but now she has to face the hunters' curse. Klaus comes to her rescue offering her refuge in his window-less, wood-less room. Could this curse bring them together? KLAROLINE FLUFF.


**I read a few fics on here that were variations of the hunters curse story. I decided to toy with the concept, inspiration struck and this is what I came up with...**

**The Hunters' Curse**

**Prologue**

The Miss Mystic Pageant –

After attacking Elena in the Lockwood mansion, Jeremy then attacks Caroline when she ventures inside to scold the caterers for being too slow. They fight, she repeatedly tries to restrain him and reason with him but Jeremy is not himself. He is in hunter mode. He finally overpowers her, with a supernatural strength that she hadn't anticipated. He is about to kill her, about to plunge a stake into her heart. Caroline has no choice, she has to kill him. She sees he has his ring on so knows he will be fine. But she won't. She will be subject to frightening hallucinations and suicidal tendencies for an unknown period of time. But it's that or certain death and in the brief second that she hesitates Jeremy has inched the stake so close that it is scratching the material of her dress. Instinct kicks in. Jeremy is dead. Having been looking for Jeremy, Stefan finds them seconds later. He consoles Caroline who is in a state of shock. He binds Jeremy and removes him promising to send help back for her. Klaus is the help he sends.

...

It took an embarrassing amount of self control not to run to Caroline once Stefan told him what had just happened. When Klaus finally reached her she was still sat on the floor of the deserted lounge where it had happened. He noted the mess of the room, the fact that there must have been a struggle, and cursed himself for letting her wonder off without paying closer attention to where she was going.

Caroline was in a daze, starring out with unfocussed eyes. She didn't snap out of it until Klaus crouched down beside her and tilted her chin towards him. Her beautiful big blue eyes came back into focus and met with his but their usual sparkle was gone.

"I killed Jeremy." She whispered, a frown creasing her forehead. "I killed a hunter."

A look passed between them then, a shared look of concern, fear, horror, at the thought of what they both knew she was about to go through.

"I'm going to fix this Caroline." He tried to reassure her "I'm going to find another potential hunter and I'm going to look after you in the meantime." He spoke with a determination that she was unspeakably grateful for.

"Okay." She didn't know what else to say, but thankfully Klaus seemed to be in control of the situation.

"Go straight home, right now, and get a bag ready. Anything you might need. I will make our excuses here and get my safe-room ready for you at the mansion. Then I'll come pick you up." Her eyes widened at the mention of the 'non-suicide' room where he had kept Elena in after she killed Connor. It seemed to shift her out of her shock and into panic. This was really going to happen to her. She was going to have to be locked up and put on suicide watch. Klaus saw the play of emotions in her eyes as she processed all this.

"It's the safest place for you Caroline." He assured in a gentle voice.

"I know, I'm just scarred." She admitted.

...

Caroline had been frantically packing some essentials when Tyler arrived. He had just shown up and was watching her with a dark look, and she couldn't deny her fear at the look in his eyes.

She didn't understand why Tyler was being like this. I mean sure he had apparently had too much to drink and he was evidently angry - and god knew he had a temper. But he wasn't even listening to her, which wasn't like him. He should be supporting her right now instead of demanding explanations about her and Klaus. And then it happened. She shrieked and flinched as he turned from the sink and the glass of water in his hands was launched at her. She couldn't go through this again, she didn't want to be afraid of him.

She ducked as yet another missile was launched at her. The coffee mug cracked off the wall and smashed onto the floor behind her. Then out of the corner of her eye she seen a figure appear just inside the door way. Klaus. She instantly blurred to him, not caring what Tyler would think or say about it, only knowing that he made her feel safe. He would stop Tyler.

"Caroline-" he started as he reached to grip her shoulders.

"Help me." She interrupted him, her eyes darting wildly over to the corner. The sight of her just about broke his heart.

"Caroline-" he tried again squeezing her slightly but he was interrupted again as she flinched to her right, her left arm coming up to shield her face as her right hand gripped his bicep tightly. Her whole body shook as she leaned into him, as though to shield herself.

"Please stop him." Her voice quivered as she pleaded and her eyes looked up at him wide with fear. His chest burned with a strange emotion as he felt a sudden need to protect her against her imagined attacker. As well as an irrational anger towards whomever her imaginary attacker was. Wrapping her in his arms he enfolded her body with his and flashed them out of the kitchen and into her room.

"It's just us in here Caroline," He closed the door and stood with his back against it. "No one else will get in." But she didn't move to extricate herself from his arms so he continued to hold her against him. Caroline buried her face in his chest blocking out the rest of the world and basking in the spicy masculine smell of him. It seemed to calm her down. She couldn't explain why but she had never felt safer than when she was wrapped in his arms.

He held her tightly against him, willing himself to calm down. His stomach had dropped when he heard her scream, the instant he had pulled up at her house. Fear had gripped him, which was not an emotion he often felt. Then he had heard her pleading and his fear had quickly been overtaken by rage. He had barged in, ready to annihilate anyone who hurt her only to find her completely alone. He felt relief, regret and guilt all at once. He didn't want this to be happening to her, he should have been looking after her like he had promised, but he honestly hadn't expected it to start so soon.

"I've got you sweetheart. You're safe with me." He spoke softly in her ear. She was so brave, his baby vampire, she had been faced by what must have been a terrifying hallucination and here she stood quietly leaning against him, not even crying, just a bit shaken up. Klaus realised she probably had not even known it was a hallucination and that it could not really hurt her. From what he had seen he knew it must have been a seemingly violent individual who had appeared to her, someone she already feared, because that was how the hallucinations worked. He needed to find out who it had been and explain it all to her. But not until she was safely in the windowless-woodless-room at his mansion where he could protect her.

...

"It's the last door on your right." He directed "Go ahead. I'll fetch you some blood bags."

Elena had told her about Klaus' windowless-'art preservation'-room so she knew she wasn't headed for a padded cell exactly, (after all, this was Klaus). But opening the door Caroline couldn't help but gasp in surprise at the grandeur and the beauty of the room before her.

Massive canvases hung from the walls along side tapestries. Frames on stands and sculptures on mounts were dotted throughout the room. A Large metal framed bed was the only furniture. Rather than being depressing or oppressive as she had thought, the lack of windows only seemed to add an atmospheric dimness to the large room and its beautiful art collection.

Hearing the creak of a door or a floorboard behind her Caroline turned to tell Klaus how impressed she was with the room only to stop short when she seen the figure in the doorway wasn't Klaus.

"Elena? What are you doing here?"

"How could you Caroline?" her face was contorted with rage and hurt, fists clenched tightly by her sides.

"I – Elena, I'm sorry. There was...I had no choice."

"Of course you had a choice. There's _always_ a choice!" Elena snarled.

"But ...but I...Elena he was going to kill me!"

"SO YOU KILLED HIM?!"

"NO!...He had his ring on!"

Klaus had an armful of blood bags and was just searching the kitchen cupboards for some human food to take to Caroline when he heard it.

"NO!" her yell sounded through the mansion. Klaus Froze. Another hallucination. He flashed to her, his insides squirming uncomfortably at the desperation in her voice. He appeared in the door way only seconds after her yell. Her eyes immediately snapped to his then shot to the empty space on his left. Her eyes widened in shock.

"E-Elena?"

"No one is here Caroline." He spoke very softly, stepping slowly into the room. She looked like a frightened animal ready to bolt.

"B-but...Elena...I, just a second ago...I saw her." He shook his head and her face paled in understanding.

"It was a hallucination?" he nodded. "So it's started already." She didn't know whether to be relieved that it hadn't really been Elena or terrified that the curse had started.

"You'll be safe here love." Caroline nodded, too afraid tears would break through if she spoke. Klaus watched her, her arms were wrapped tightly around her, hugging herself as she went back to taking in her surroundings. Klaus wanted to comfort her. He wanted to give her hugs and tell her it was all going to be ok, that he'd take care of her. But first he had to fix this for her.

"I'll let you settle in. I need to go and make a few calls but I'll be back soon."

"Promise?" she asked. His eyebrows shot up in surprise but he smiled softly at her, delighted to know she wanted him with her.

"I promise love."

...

**_6 Hours into the curse..._**

"Hey." She smiled shyly up at him shifting to sit up from where she lay sprawled across the bed. "So while you were gone I've been thinking..." She tucked her legs underneath her as she sat facing him, her eyes fixed on her hands as she fidgeted. "...Elena, earlier... that was a hallucination." She peaked up at him and he nodded waiting for her to continue. "So back at my house, when you picked me up..." her eyes dropped to the bed unable to look at him when she asked this, "there was no one there was there? That was a hallucination too?"

"Yes." He answered. Caroline's hands instantly shot up to cover her face. Klaus stood watching her, uncertain of what to do or what to say. Why was she acting like this? She groaned.

"Oh my God. I can't believe...I'm so embarrassed." He almost laughed, was she really embarrassed? Of all the things for her to be feeling right now. God she was amazing. "I didn't realise. I should have realised...Oh God, I asked you to...God I'm so stupid." She was rambling now and a small chuckle escaped him as he sat beside her gripping her wrists and gently yanking her hands away from her face.

"Caroline sweetheart you have absolutely nothing to be embarrassed about. As a matter of fact I should be apologising to you. It was my fault, I should have properly explained everything to you, so you would know what to expect. I was just preoccupied with getting you here. Would you like me to explain it all now?" she nodded, scouting back on the bed to sit with her back against the headboard. To his surprise she patted her hand at her side, indicating for him to join her.

"Well there are two categories of hallucinations: threatening and manipulative. So while some will try to frighten and intimidate you, others will try to guilt you into taking your own life. The threatening individuals tend to appear as visions of people you either fear or have killed. The manipulative ones appear in the image of your loved ones, friends and family." Klaus explained.

"Threatening and manipulative." Caroline ticked off on her fingers, "Ok got it." She nodded.

"A sweet, innocent, little thing like you, I'm sure they'll almost all be the guilt-tripping manipulative type. I'm sure your loved ones far outweigh your enemies." He tried to be reassuring, wanting to comfort the blonde in some way. To his surprise she gave a derisive snort of laughter before saying.

"You'd be surprised." He raised an eyebrow in question, a small smirk pulling at his lips as he looked down at her expectantly. She nodded her head attempting to give him a serious, knowing look that said _'oh yes I'm a bad ass' _when a smile broke through and a laugh escaped her. He laughed too.

"Of course, I'm forgetting that you had a successful Miss Mystic Falls campaign. Could have made yourself a lot of enemies there. From what I seen today that's a real dog-eat-dog competition." He teased and she laughed again, grateful that he was trying to make her laugh. It had been a good day. She had had fun and a lot of that (dare she admit it) was thanks to him, and here he was doing it again, as though secretly determined to not let the hunters curse ruin her day.

"Nah not really" she shrugged her shoulders and waved her hand dismissively, "I compelled my way through it. None of them know what hit them." His responding look was one of such pure shock that she was squealing with laughter after catching sight of the look on his face. "I'm kidding!" she exclaimed. "That would be wrong." She scolded him with a serious look once her laughter subsided.

"That," he said pointing a finger at her, "right there! That is what I mean. Sweet and innocent." He explained in answer to Caroline's questioning look. "You have the clearest, strongest sense of right and wrong that I've ever seen in a vampire. With a conscience like that to guide you there can't be too many victims out there waiting to come back and haunt you in a hallucination."

"Yeah I guess you're right." She said, a slight pensive look falling over her. "I have more of a habit of _being_ the victim." Caroline added quietly, almost to herself. She shrugged when she realised Klaus was watching her, waiting for further explanation "Let's just say I'm sort of a magnet for trouble." He wanted to press her further, to find out what she meant. When had she been made a victim, and by whom, and why? But for now he could see a mist of sadness descending over her and decided to put that aside for later, until he guided her through this upcoming storm. He reached out and squeezed her hand.

"Caroline I'm going to be honest with you this isn't going to be easy but I promise you, you will get through this. I'm going to help you." She had to force a smile this time, suddenly weighed down by the onslaught of waves of negative emotions. A silence stretched between them as they each got lost in thought.

"Elena said that you'd been through this too. That you went through it for a long time." Klaus nodded.

"Yes. But what made my experience infinitely worse was that I had no hope. You see I had no knowledge of how to stop the curse or if it could even be stopped." He explained seriously. Then his lips pulled up in a smile as he continued "But thanks to the doppelganger's recent encounter with the curse, courtesy of the late hunter Connor, we now know how to break it. All we have to do is find you a potential hunter."

"That's easier said than done, I've just been committed to the Mikaelson Mansion psychiatric ward on account of my hallucinations and suicidal tendencies. I'm not exactly fit for hunting a hunter." She quipped dryly.

"You see that's why I created hybrids. I get them to do all the leg work and heavy lifting. Just you sit back, relax and enjoy the art work. You'll be out of here in no time." And just like that he pulled her spirits back up and coxed a real smile out of her again.

That was the first of many nights that they spent sitting together, talking until the small hours of the morning, learning everything there was to know about each other and taking comfort in the easy companionship – free from conditions or expectations, or judgment and accusation from the outside world. They were two people trapped in a vacuum, where time stood still, the world ceased to exist around them, they lived only for that moment and the enjoyment and comfort of each other's company.

...

**_7 Days into the curse..._**

Something was bothering her. He could tell the moment he had walked into the room that day, there was something about her mood and the look in her eyes that was off. She was distracted. But so far he had been with her for nearly two hours and she hadn't brought it up yet, whatever _it_ was. So he waited, patiently. He was a patient man when it came to Caroline Forbes.

He knew it wasn't anything too serious. He had come to know her quite well this last week having spent quite a lot of time with her since that first night. Whenever a hallucination appeared she had taken to sitting or standing right next to him. At first she had just been turning her attention to him, focusing solely on him in an attempt to block them out. But as the days passed and as they grew closer and more comfortable around each other she started to turn to him for comfort when the hallucinations frightened or upset her. She would slide under his arm, tuck herself into his side, and he would automatically pull her closer. She would rest her head against his shoulder or burry it into his neck and he would instinctively stroke her hair. For Klaus it was equals parts pleasure and torture to have her so close all the time. He loved that she was now so relaxed and at ease with him but at the same time it was like a cruel taunt to know he could only have so much of her. He took it as a small triumph that she would look to him (the evil original hybrid) for comfort, that he was able to console her at all. Maybe there was hope for him after all.

She was restless and ever so slightly on edge, watching him. Observing closely, unsure of how to start or what she really wanted to say. Three hours had passed and while Klaus had sat engrossed in a charcoal drawing, Caroline had been building up to what she wanted to tell him.

"Is something wrong?" he asked snapping her out of her thoughts. She decided to jump right in.

"I had another hallucination this morning." He bristled, connecting this confession with her awkward behaviour and reaching a devastating conclusion. Stopping what he was doing he looked her in the eye.

"It was me." he said. It wasn't a question but she nodded in answer. "Right...well...I'll go."

"No wait. I don't want you to go."

"Caroline the only reason I stayed was to make you feel more comfortable." He looked away speaking quietly as he stood to leave, "My presence obviously wouldn't achieve that anymore so-"

"I hope you don't mean that." She interrupted him, darting to stand in front of him.

"Mean what?" he looked up again confused.

"That you only stayed to make me comfortable." He was speechless. She continued "Because the hallucination of you didn't scare me the way you think."

"How did I scare you?" they way he said 'I' confused her because it wasn't _him,_ just a figment of her imagination twisted and warped by the curse.

"You told me that I didn't mean anything. That I was just another way to the doppelganger. That you were bored with me and you were moving your attentions to better more interesting women."

(She left out the part about her always being second choice and her life being worthless so she should just kill herself. That wasn't important, just a manifestation of her own insecurities, and definitely not something the real Klaus would ever think. It was the rest that scared her because that really could all be true. He _could_ get bored with her. She _could_ be nothing to him. It was her secret fear, her reason for not giving into his advances.)

His jaw clenched.

"Did you believe it, did you think it- I, was real?"

"No." She answered instantly, without hesitation.

"Then why did it scare you?"

"The thought of you actually thinking that scared me. The thought of..." she hesitated, "...loosing you."

"I thought you didn't like my attention." His tone was sharp and suspicious, almost accusing.

"I thought you were only interested because I wasn't giving in." She retorted.

"What changed your mind?" Klaus asked, his voice softer. Cautiously hopeful.

"How wonderful you've been to me this last week." A blush coloured her cheeks and he smiled, relaxing finally "I'm not sure I deserve it." He reached out his thumb sweeping it across her cheek, wanting to feel the slight heat left there from her embarrassment.

"You deserve so much more, sweet Caroline."

The line he drew along her cheek was tingling in the wake of his touch and she craved more contact. It was as though her words had opened the flood gates as emotions rushed through the blue of his eyes. Tenderness, warmth, gentleness, and affection poured out of him. His focus slipped from her eyes to her lips. Her lungs stopped taking in air. The atmosphere in the room became thick and heavy. His hand dropped from her cheek to her arm, pulling her fractionally towards him as he leaned closer...

Thump. Thump. Thump.

Caroline jumped at the sound of a fist banging on the door. And just like that the building suspension and tingling sexual tension was smothered.

"Caroline?" Elena's voice rang out. "It's me and Bonnie, we just want to know if you're ok or if you need anything?" Caroline sighed in disappointment.

"Just coming." she called, making her way to the door. She glanced back at Klaus for just a second and was almost halted in her tracks by the burning look of desire shinning in his eyes. His eyes tracked quickly over her retreating figure and the look he gave her made her stomach flip and a grin tug on her lips. The moment was over, this time, but from what she just felt and saw she was sure there would be a next time. Just as she reached the door she had to fight to suppress a giggle as she heard a low mutter from Klaus, across the room. Something about, _'the bloody doppelganger, always ruining my life'._

...

**_15 Days into the curse..._**

Caroline sat at the end of the bed, her knees pulled up to her chest, rocking gently back and forward.

"You killed another human being Caroline. That's two now."

"No I told you he had his ring. I knew he-"

"Do you think that makes a difference? Remember the last time we talked Caroline?" she shivered at the memory of the vervain soaked rag in her mouth and the pencils pierced through her hands. Alaric grinned but his eyes were menacing and without humour. "You told me then that you weren't a monster because you had only killed one person and it was _'an accident'_." He mocked

"It was an accident!"

"Mmm. Well now your tally is up to two!" he thrust two fingers in her face and she winced away from him jumping to her feet and turning away. "And your excuse this time is you knew he'd come back. So what will it be next time Caroline? Will you be telling me it was ok for you to kill someone because they had your blood in their system so you knew they'd come back? Mmm?"

"No! I wouldn't do-" he cut her off.

"How many excuses will you come up with? How many more people will you KILL before you realise: You. Are. A. Monster!" He punctuated each word by taking a menacing step towards her, backing her into a corner. When he next spoke his face was barely an inch from hers.

"Oh if only I had some more vervain to tie around that pretty mouth of yours. I would gag you until you stopped making your petty excuses and admitted to what you really are." She couldn't take it anymore. The very sight of Alaric had her flashing back to being captured. She had been trembling uncontrollably since he appeared in front of her 10minutes ago. But as if the memories weren't upsetting enough she also had to listen to the awful things he was saying about her. And the worst part of it was that at some point, at her lowest moments, she had thought most of it herself. Shaking all over Caroline clamped her eyes shut, pressed her hands firmly over her ears and slid down the wall until she was crouching in the corner.

Caroline felt someone grab her arm and pull it away from her ear. She screamed in fright, her instinctive response now being fear. She tried to cower away, to curl deeper into herself, but she was already tucked tightly into the corner of the room. She tried to wrench her arm free but the grip was too tight. Then she heard it, the most beautifully comforting sound.

"Sshh. It's ok. It's ok. It's me." His velvety accented voice spoke softly next to her and she immediately stopped struggling. "It's ok, you're safe." It was the exact same words he had spoken the day he saved her from Alaric and just like that her fears and horrible memories seemed to slip away at the sight of him. He pulled her out of the corner and up to her feet. "Who was it this time?"

"Alaric." Her voice was thick from tears "I know it wasn't real him, but seeing him, I couldn't stop thinking about that day at the school." He pulled her against his chest, an action which came quite naturally to him now. His arms wrapped firmly around her, one hand rubbing soothing circles on the small of her back as she buried her face in his shoulder and sobbed.

That was the first night he stayed with her while they both slept. He hadn't planned it, he didn't want to force his presence on her. But as he comforted her, as she took solace in his arms, time lost all meaning. He soothed and reassured her and she slowly calmed and relaxed against him. They spent what felt like hours standing like that. Occasionally Klaus would press a kiss to her temple. Even long after they had drifted into a tranquil silence neither one wanted to let go of the other. At some point during the night they had moved to the bed and they both drifted off into a peaceful sleep still wrapped in each other's arms.

She woke with her head on a firm chest and strong arms looped around her waist. But there was no awkwardness, no bashfulness. Just happy and contented morning greetings, a soft kiss on her forehead and the offer of some blood and breakfast. And just like that they seamlessly slid into another day, taking the change in their growing relationship in their stride. He didn't hold her again for days, didn't touch her more than a passing brush for days. But it didn't matter, the step had been taken, the boundary had been crossed, they had stepped over that line between friendship and something more and neither of them was looking back.

...

**_22 Days into the curse..._**

"The art in here really is amazing. And it's been really nice spending time with you - you know apart from the constant interruption of my hallucinations - but I really can't wait to get out of here. No offence." She added quickly suddenly worried that she'd sounded rude or ungrateful without even realising.

"None taken." He said laughing.

"I think I should celebrate my new found freedom with a vacation." She continued, "What do you think?"

"I think that's a brilliant idea. Where to?"

"I don't know. I've never been anywhere. Where would you suggest?" his hand stilled over his sketch book and his head came up from his drawing, a thoughtful expression on his face.

"America or Europe?" he asked her after a thoughtful pause.

"Europe." She answered instantly.

"City break or beach holiday?" he asked.

"City break. But warm!" She added quickly, "I miss the sun." She said the last part so wistfully that he chuckled.

"Then I would say anywhere in France, Spain or Italy. There are many more but they would be your big main sunny destinations in Europe." They fell back into a comfortable silence as Klaus returned to his drawing and Caroline tried to think what cities she knew in those three European countries that he suggested.

"Mmh...Rome or Paris?" she asked herself, thinking out loud. He grinned.

"What about Tokyo?" he teased and she grinned back, blushing at the reminder of their previous flirtatious conversation about world travels.

"Where is your favourite place in Europe?" she asked him, curious.

"London, but it might not be sunny enough there for you so in mainland Europe I'd have to say Rome."

"Rome it is." She said with a bright smile and a decisive nod. "Will you come with me and show me around?" his head shot up.

"You want me to take you to Rome?" Klaus asked, surprised.

"Well you did say that you would." Caroline teased and then in an instant turned serious as she dropped her gaze to her hands and added in a quiet voice "Only if you want to."

"I'd love to." Their eyes met once again and he was smiling at her, a genuine smile and her stomached flipped.

He cupped her face, tilted her chin up and his lips pressed to hers in a sweet but chaste kiss. With a sigh Caroline leaned into him and tried to deepen the kiss, to prolong it but Klaus drew back parting their lips whilst still holding her face, his thumb gently skating along her jaw in an affectionate caress.

"What's wrong?" Caroline asked confused and a little annoyed at his reluctance to continue their kiss.

"Wrong? Absolutely nothing."

"Then why did you pull away"

"Because you are going through something stressful and upsetting. It's been a very emotional time for you and I won't take advantage of that." He said firmly letting his hands fall from her face to circle around her waist. "When we get together I want to know it's for all the right reasons. Otherwise I would have just compelled you months ago." On the inside her stomach turned to jelly at the sweet sentiment of his explanation but outwardly she heaved a dramatic sigh.

"Great so the big bad hybrid has finally developed morals." She mocked. He merely laughed, pressing a brushing kiss on her lips before gazing into her eyes, his own swirling with the depth of his emotions.

"Only for you." Caroline was unsure of how to react to his obvious affections so again she acted put out and replied with another exaggerated sigh and a pout.

"You better make Rome a damn good holiday." This elicited a smirk and a low rumbling chuckle from Klaus.

"Oh I will." Her heart was set a flutter at the thought and she blushed at the seductive way he said it.

...

**_27 Days into the curse..._**

The curse was really starting to wear on Caroline. As much as she tried to be optimistic and positive she was starting to feel the strain from the bombardment of psychological warfare from her hallucinations. It was a slow and cruel emotional torture. A girl can only be told so many times that she should kill herself before she starts to get depressed.

It had been a bad day. But just like always Klaus had been there. He had calmed her down, wiped away her tears, and whispered compliments and words of affection into her ear. It was late. They both lay on the bed, fast asleep. Caroline was curled against Klaus, her head resting on his chest. He held one of her hands in one of his, resting clasped together on his chest. His other arm was draped protectively over her, pressing her closer to his side. A sudden and shrill ringing pulled Klaus from sleep in seconds. He quickly answered the phone so it didn't wake Caroline and gently rolled her off his chest, slipping away from her to take the call.

At the loss of his warmth she stirred slightly too then be properly roused from sleep by the sound of Klaus' voice. There was something in his tone that made her watch him as he sat with his back to her at the end of the bed. She watched him click off the phone then just sit for a moment seemingly staring out in front of him. When he turned to her his face held the biggest and brightest smile she had ever seen him with. She sat bolt upright. Hope, which she had long ago suppressed, swelled in her stomach.

"Looks like we're going to Rome sweetheart." Klaus said.

"We are?" her words came out as a whisper, her eyes wide and bright.

"Whenever you're ready." Klaus told her, moving back up the bed towards her.

"You mean..." Caroline couldn't finish her sentence. Was this really happening?

"It's over Caroline." He spoke soft and slow, tilting her chin up so she could see the truth in his eyes.

"The curse is gone? It's really gone? Seriously?" her disbelieve was gradually ebbing away, a small smile breaking through.

"The potential hunter they had tracked just made his first kill minutes ago." Klaus explained.

"You didn't even tell me you had been tracking someone." Still trying to balance her disbelieve and happiness, they were pushed momentarily to the side by wonder and amazement.

"I didn't want to get your hopes up. I couldn't bear to see you disappointed if it hadn't worked out."

"You are amazing do you know that?" she said reaching out to grip his shoulders.

"Well love I am an all powerful original hybrid." He smirked. She smacked his shoulder.

"I mean it. You're amazing." She repeated pulling him forward and pressing her lips firmly on his.

**THE END**

**It ended up a lot longer than I ever intended, I have a problem with knowing when to stop and believe it or not this is me having cut out about 1000 words of additional excess crap.**

**Sooo too long? Too dull? Too plot-less?...I'd love to know what you all thought. **

**Thanks for reading.**


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